Why Pick JMU if GMU is Ranked Higher and Easier to Get Into?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m considering Virginia state schools for my child and looking at GMU closely. GMU is ranked 105th nationally by US News, while JMU is ranked 124th. GMU also seems easier to get into and excels in STEM programs. With all these points in GMU's favor, I'm curious why anyone might still go for JMU. Does JMU offer something unique that I’m overlooking? Would love to get some thoughts from anyone familiar with these schools as of recently. I know GMU was a commuter backup school a decade or more ago but it seems things have changed.

It’s not. Check back on sept 2024

please explain?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is only applying to GMU. White male. Not interested in football or fraternities. Com Sci kid. Couldn't care less about the social scene in high school or college. Plans to live on campus first year, even though we live about 20 min. away.

Other kid goes to a VA state school that also does not have a football/party/fraternity culture. There are a lot of kids these days who have friends from all over the country who get together on line. Many kids are not into the "traditional" rah-rah college experience.

Why go to one vs. the other, OP? Just because one feels more interesting/right to you! That's really all there is. To the extent you are seeking a com sci degree, if you want an "easier"version of that b/c you are not strong in math, then JMU is the way to go. They don't require as much math as GMU. Otherwise, you do you.

By the way, I know everyone likes to poop on GMU b/c it's the local school... but even at the top FCPS high schools, GMU is the #3 college choice of graduates. VT and NVCC flip flop from year to year for 1st and 2nd. Then there's good 'ole GMU in the #3 spot year after year.

I actually went to UVA for law school, after attending two mid-west big state U's. I actually kind of prefer a university that is more "open to everyone, but you'll have to prove that you can stay" mindset. Being in a college/university where everyone is a 4.5 gpa gunner, just doesn't sound fun at all. I like the way the big-state-U's are pretty liberal with admitting people, and then, of course, if you don't have what it takes to get through the hard classes, you don't stay.

I've encouraged my kid to look at VT or other universities, but he just says "why?" I'm choosing to look at it as a positive! I'll get to see my kid more often, and it's so much more convenient to move in and move out when you live nearby. Plus, it's easier to help when he gets sick, and he can keep his same doctors/barber/dentist/etc.

OP, there isn't one answer to your question. It's just really what makes sense to you.

Nonsense post.

Literally everything I wrote is true.

Ignore previous troll. I am in similar boat. Kid not interested in football but wants a big school. Comes from a very diverse highschool and prefers the same for college. High academic achiever but doesn’t like a competitive atmosphere. I went to Mich and an Ivy and would never recommend that experience for him. I was really impressed with the course selection and internship opportunities at GMU. A school doesn’t need to be competitive or a picture from a YA book to be good.

[Anonymous]

Good friend has a son at GMU. The kid’s grandparents live two blocks from campus. My friend said on five occasions first semester freshman year he went to his son’s dorm room on a Saturday afternoon he said campus was a ghost town and he didn’t see another kid in his son’s dorm. Not in the common rooms. Not hanging out outside. It was abandoned. Maybe kids who live close go home on Saturdays. But it sounds like a depressing college experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good friend has a son at GMU. The kid’s grandparents live two blocks from campus. My friend said on five occasions first semester freshman year he went to his son’s dorm room on a Saturday afternoon he said campus was a ghost town and he didn’t see another kid in his son’s dorm. Not in the common rooms. Not hanging out outside. It was abandoned. Maybe kids who live close go home on Saturdays. But it sounds like a depressing college experience.

There’s so much to do in this area. Kids aren’t just sitting around the dorm or hanging out on campus. They go into DC, shopping at Tysons, to concerts, ballgames, etc. My DS is on campus but doesn’t come home every weekend although we live nearby. He takes the shuttle to go around town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's not a real college experience. It's basically a community college experience with 4 year degrees and good placement.

+1 That’s it, that’s why

Are the classes at GMU comparable to or harder than community college classes?

I’ve gone to both recently to earn a second degree. NVCC online classes were superior to my regular classes at GMU. The online system to conduct business (e.g. register for classes) was also better.

[Anonymous]

^ I took an online graduate level course at Georgetown that I would rate about 6/10 but doesn’t mean Georgetown is barely above average. PP example is a bad one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's not a real college experience. It's basically a community college experience with 4 year degrees and good placement.

+1 That’s it, that’s why

Are the classes at GMU comparable to or harder than community college classes?

I’ve gone to both recently to earn a second degree. NVCC online classes were superior to my regular classes at GMU. The online system to conduct business (e.g. register for classes) was also better.

I have heard the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's not a real college experience. It's basically a community college experience with 4 year degrees and good placement.

+1 That’s it, that’s why

Are the classes at GMU comparable to or harder than community college classes?

I’ve gone to both recently to earn a second degree. NVCC online classes were superior to my regular classes at GMU. The online system to conduct business (e.g. register for classes) was also better.

I have heard the same.

Opposite happened to my kid. He took a NVCC summer course (as a rising senior in high school) in chemistry and pulled a terrible prof who just didnt give a d@mn. Meanwhile other child had chem at GMU. It was night and day. i still regret we didnt register the high school kid for the chem course (you apply as a non-degree student) at GMU. NVCC was a waste of time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's not a real college experience. It's basically a community college experience with 4 year degrees and good placement.

What does this mean? We are in MD and my kid is considering GMU over JMU for poli sci. The poli sci courses offered at GMU make those at JMU, UMBC and Towson look like high school.

By “real college experience” the PP means “white.”

By “basically a community college degree with 4 year degrees and good placement” the PP means majority-minority.

Welcome to DCUM!

That’s actually not at all what I meant. Nice try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good friend has a son at GMU. The kid’s grandparents live two blocks from campus. My friend said on five occasions first semester freshman year he went to his son’s dorm room on a Saturday afternoon he said campus was a ghost town and he didn’t see another kid in his son’s dorm. Not in the common rooms. Not hanging out outside. It was abandoned. Maybe kids who live close go home on Saturdays. But it sounds like a depressing college experience.

There’s so much to do in this area. Kids aren’t just sitting around the dorm or hanging out on campus. They go into DC, shopping at Tysons, to concerts, ballgames, etc. My DS is on campus but doesn’t come home every weekend although we live nearby. He takes the shuttle to go around town.

+1. My GMU kid was everywhere but the dorm on a sat afternoon. she particularly liked the jitney buses into Fairfax and meals at Fiest Watch. She also went into DC a lot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's not a real college experience. It's basically a community college experience with 4 year degrees and good placement.

What does this mean? We are in MD and my kid is considering GMU over JMU for poli sci. The poli sci courses offered at GMU make those at JMU, UMBC and Towson look like high school.

By “real college experience” the PP means “white.”

By “basically a community college degree with 4 year degrees and good placement” the PP means majority-minority.

Welcome to DCUM!

That’s actually not at all what I meant. Nice try.

The GMU political science courses and internships in DC is a plus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good friend has a son at GMU. The kid’s grandparents live two blocks from campus. My friend said on five occasions first semester freshman year he went to his son’s dorm room on a Saturday afternoon he said campus was a ghost town and he didn’t see another kid in his son’s dorm. Not in the common rooms. Not hanging out outside. It was abandoned. Maybe kids who live close go home on Saturdays. But it sounds like a depressing college experience.

There’s so much to do in this area. Kids aren’t just sitting around the dorm or hanging out on campus. They go into DC, shopping at Tysons, to concerts, ballgames, etc. My DS is on campus but doesn’t come home every weekend although we live nearby. He takes the shuttle to go around town.

+1. My GMU kid was everywhere but the dorm on a sat afternoon. she particularly liked the jitney buses into Fairfax and meals at Fiest Watch. She also went into DC a lot

^First Watch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ I took an online graduate level course at Georgetown that I would rate about 6/10 but doesn’t mean Georgetown is barely above average. PP example is a bad one.

The question is, did NVCC have better a better class than Georgetown? If you claim yes, then we knw you are lying.

We already know that your reasoning capabilities are non existent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m considering Virginia state schools for my child and looking at GMU closely. GMU is ranked 105th nationally by US News, while JMU is ranked 124th. GMU also seems easier to get into and excels in STEM programs. With all these points in GMU's favor, I'm curious why anyone might still go for JMU. Does JMU offer something unique that I’m overlooking? Would love to get some thoughts from anyone familiar with these schools as of recently. I know GMU was a commuter backup school a decade or more ago but it seems things have changed.

It stopped being a commuter school in 2010 when it was reclassified as "primarily residential". All freshman are now required to live on campus unless they get waivers. My DD was in the dorms (and loved it) for all four years but was concerned she wouldn't get a particular LLC set-up (suites!) for junior and senior year but she did. Her roomates were from all over the US and several international

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's not a real college experience. It's basically a community college experience with 4 year degrees and good placement.

What does this mean? We are in MD and my kid is considering GMU over JMU for poli sci. The poli sci courses offered at GMU make those at JMU, UMBC and Towson look like high school.

Well, that's interesting considering GMU doesn't have an undergrad poli sci major at all. They do have some very interesting related majors (Gov't.& Int'l. Politics, Int'l Security and Law, Public Administration) and you can get a masters in poli sci there.

Here are all the available poli sci classes at JMU. Quite extensive and nothing like high school:

https://catalog.jmu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=51&poid=21714#DegreeAndMajorRequirements